Tomahawk Luncheon - Horace Mann - ING Unsung Heroes

Thank you, Tomahawk! 

On Monday I returned "home" to Tomahawk Intermediate. I am so fortunate to teach with  many talented, supportive teachers and staff. The social committee and Horace Mann (one of our county's school business partners) provided lunch and a beautiful cake for our school festivities.

Horace Mann provides much support for teachers across the nation and in West Virginia. They award the West Virginia Teacher of the Year with $1,500, for which I am very grateful. I was also honored to be recognized as a Horace Mann - Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum (ALPLM) Fellow in 2010. It is an exceptional program where selected teachers learn about the life and presidency of Abraham Lincoln for a week in Springfield, Illinois. I met many teachers from that experience that I still keep in touch with today. When I teach about the Civil War and our 16th president, I joyfully retell my time in Springfield like it was yesterday as I share the pictures and video from my ALPLM fellowship with my students.

I was also honored on Monday as the West Virginia recipient of the ING Unsung Heroes Award. ING selects 100 teachers from across the country with innovative ideas for their classrooms. Andy Pierce from ING offices in Columbus, Ohio, presented me with the $2,000 to fund my project "APPsolutely Connected to Another Culture." You can access the application form for next year's Unsung Hero Awards on the ING website.

With Andy Pierce of ING Financial Services

I have been very fortunate to receive so much recognition for my ideas and dedication to the classroom over the years. School business partnerships are an important means of communication and support in our school systems, both on a local and national level. Not only do schools and classrooms receive monetary support and community participation (our school business partner, The National Maritime Center, volunteers to assist with programs such as our school Social Studies Fair), but it is also a way to build rapport and change public perception of education. It's also fundamental that businesses support the students in their communities, as those children could potentially become a part of their future workforce.

Some of the many wonderful people I get to work with everyday!

Thank you once again to my principal, Beth McCoy, Tomahawk, Horace Mann, and ING for a memorable "homecoming." Jenni Vincent of The Journal wrote a very nice piece expressing my feelings about our invaluable staff at Tomahawk that you can read at this link.

With Mr. Spataro

I also want to thank John Spataro, our former principal for stopping by our school yesterday as well. John hired me about nine years ago - and had I not ended up at Tomahawk, I don't know if I would be in the position I am in today. I am thankful that he saw something in me that made him believe I would be a good fit for our school. John retired this past school year, but I appreciate he took some time to visit with the staff and celebrate.

It's starting to all sink in that this is for "real."  I'm exhausted from running on excitement. I'm used to multitasking and "wearing many hats," but this is in a league of its own. It's my hope (and prayer) that every crazy experience and monumental workload I have taken on over the last ten years has prepared me for this moment. Tomorrow marks one week since this all began - look for a special "Rewind Wednesday" post about that incredible night tomorrow.

- Erin